CORE LOCATING AND STABILIZING PIN POSITIONING TOOL AND METHOD

Abstract

A tool is provided for positioning a core stabilizing pin into a preassigned hole of a plurality of holes formed in an additively manufactured mold. The tool has a main body, a pin cavity, and a standoff. When the tool is used to insert a core stabilizing pin, of a precise, controlled length, into a preassigned hole, and the core stabilizing pin is inserted until the mold engagement end contacts the outer surface of the mold, the angle of the preassigned hole and thickness of the mold precisely positions the core stabilizing pin to engage and stabilize the core.

Description

Claims

1. A tool for positioning a core stabilizing pin into a preassigned hole of a plurality of holes formed in an additively manufactured mold, the mold having an outer surface and an inner surface, the inner surface defining a cavity in which an internal core is formed, each of the plurality of holes extending between the outer surface and the inner surface, and each hole disposed at an angle and further disposed at a position at which the mold has a thickness and at which the inner surface is uniquely spaced from the core, the tool comprising: a main body having a main body first end and a main body second end;a pin cavity formed in the main body second end, the pin cavity dimensioned to receive a core stabilizing pin therein; anda standoff extending from the main body second end to a mold engagement end, the mold engagement end being a predetermined distance from the main body second end, and the predetermined distance being unique to the preassigned hole, wherein: the mold has a thickness at the position of each hole;when the tool is used to insert the core stabilizing pin, of a precise, controlled length, into the preassigned hole, and the core stabilizing pin is inserted until the mold engagement end contacts the outer surface of the mold, the angle of the preassigned hole and thickness of the mold precisely positions the core stabilizing pin to engage and stabilize the core.

2. The tool of claim 1, wherein the tool is manufactured using an additive manufacturing process.

3. The tool of claim 2, wherein the additive manufacturing process is an ultraviolet (UV) material PolyJet additive printing process.

4. The tool of claim 3, wherein 28-micron layers are used in the UV material PolyJet additive printing process.

5. The tool of claim 1, wherein: the tool is one of a plurality of tools associated with the mold; andeach of the plurality tools dimensioned for a different one of the plurality of holes.

6. A kit of tools for positioning core stabilizing pins into preassigned holes formed in an additively manufactured mold that has an outer surface and an inner surface, the inner surface defining a cavity in which an internal core is formed, each preassigned hole extending between the outer surface and the inner surface, and each preassigned hole disposed at an angle and further disposed at a position at which the mold has a thickness and at which the inner surface is uniquely spaced from the core, each tool in the kit is associated with a different one of the preassigned holes, and each tool in the kit comprises: a main body having a main body first end and a main body second end;a pin cavity formed in the main body second end, the pin cavity dimensioned to receive a core stabilizing pin therein; anda standoff extending from the main body second end to a mold engagement end, the mold engagement end being a predetermined distance from the main body second end, and the predetermined distance being unique to its associated preassigned hole, wherein: the mold has a thickness at the position of each preassigned hole;when each tool is used to insert a core stabilizing pin, of a precise, controlled length, into its associated preassigned hole, and the core stabilizing pin is inserted until the mold engagement end contacts the outer surface of the mold, the angle of the hole and thickness of the mold precisely positions the core stabilizing pin to engage and stabilize the core.

7. The kit of claim 6, wherein each tool is manufactured using an additive manufacturing process.

8. The kit of claim 7, wherein the additive manufacturing process is an ultraviolet (UV) material PolyJet additive printing process.

9. The kit of claim 8, wherein 28-micron layers are used in the UV material PolyJet additive printing process.

10. A method for positioning a core stabilizing pin into a preassigned hole of a plurality of holes formed in an additively manufactured mold, wherein the mold has an outer surface and an inner surface, wherein the inner surface defines a cavity in which an internal core is formed, wherein each of the plurality of holes extends between the outer surface and the inner surface, wherein each hole of the plurality of holes is disposed at an angle and is further disposed at a position at which the mold has a thickness and at which the inner surface is uniquely spaced from the core, the method comprising the steps of: selecting, from a kit of tools, a tool that is uniquely associated with the preassigned hole, the selected tool comprising: (i) a main body having a main body first end and a main body second end, (ii) a pin cavity formed in the main body second end, the pin cavity dimensioned to receive a core stabilizing pin therein, and (iii) a standoff extending from the main body second end to a mold engagement end, the mold engagement end being a predetermined distance from the main body second end, and the predetermined distance being unique to its associated preassigned hole;inserting a core stabilizing pin, of a precise, controlled length, into the pin cavity; andusing the selected tool to insert the core stabilizing pin into the preassigned hole until the mold engagement end contacts the outer surface of the mold.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein: the pin cavity is defined by a closed end surface and an open end;the core stabilizing pin has a first end and a second end; andthe step of inserting the core stabilizing pin into the pin cavity comprises inserting the core stabilizing pin until the first end contacts the closed end surface, whereby a free section of the core stabilizing pin extends from pin cavity.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising: dipping at least a portion of the free section into a molten material prior to inserting the core stabilizing pin into the preassigned hole.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the molten material is molten wax.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising: separating the selected tool from the core stabilizing pin after the molten material has solidified.